KWAIDAN: Stories and Studies of Strange Things - Hardcover

A New Edition of Japanese horror stories collected by Lafcardio Hearn during his travels in Japan in the early 20th century Augmented in this edition by original photographs from world-renowned photographer Hiroshi Watanabe whose work is exhibited and collected worldwide. Will appeal to horror/supernatural fans as well as to fine art photography admirers especially (but not limited to) those in Japanese and other Asian communities. Illuminating introductory essay by Paul Murray, author of the prizewinning A Fantastic Journey: The Life and Literature of Lafcardio Hearn and From the Shadow of Dracula: A Life of Bram Stoker.

Hiroshi Watanabe was born in Japan. He graduated from Department of Photography at Nihon University in 1975. He moved to Los Angeles after graduation and became involved in the production of TV commercials for Japan. He later established his own production company and produced numerous commercials. He received an MBA degree from UCLA Business School in 1993. In 1995 his passion for photography rekindled, and since then he has traveled worldwide extensively photographing what he finds intriguing at that moment and place. In 2000 he closed the production company in order to devote himself entirely to the art. Since then, his work has been published and exhibited around the world, and he received numerous awards. His work is in the permanent collections of many art museums such as Philadelphia Museum of Art, Houston Museum of Fine Arts, George Eastman House, Santa Barbara Museum of Art, J. Paul Getty Museum, San Jose Museum of Art, New Mexico Museum of Art, North Carolina Museum of Art, Los Angeles County Museum of Art. In 2016, He received the Pollock-Krasner Foundation Grant.